One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

In 2014 we beat Arizona, UCLA, USC, BYU and maybe Oregon. 10+ wins

In 2016 we beat San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Furd. 9+ wins

2015 is hard to read because the offense stagnated somewhat and we lost several close games, defense may have mattered but maybe we get past Utah, UCLA and USC with that incremental difference. 10+ wins

Dykes is really half a football coach, with a half-decent defense we probably don't make a run for Pasadena but at least we are maybe in contention for the North one of those past years.

Well at least Cal is on the right track now...and perhaps a few skill positions players and a strong rush away from really good times again. Another once-in-a-generation QB would be nice, like Rodgers or Goff.

I'm a fan of the coaching staff and what's been done but just offering more perspective: Wilcox and/or Baldwin lost 2 playmakers that can take the top off the defense and hasn't been able to replace them. For all the credit they deserve, they also deserve blame for that. Cal offense is sorely missing that element.

Big shout out to all the D coaches! They have each of their position groups showing major improvement. They have taken personnel and moved them to new positions where their skill sets can be best utilized to succeed, but not just putting them in those positions but teaching them the techniques and knowledge of those positions to succeed. Evan Weaver is a perfect example of this. They moved him from DL to inside backer and he has excelled beyond expectations! We may have the best position coaches on defense across the board in the Pac 12. GA and his D Back group just look in total command of their responsibilities on the field. We may not have recruited the most elite talent but our coaches are getting the most out of the players they have!

I'm a fan of the coaching staff and what's been done but just offering more perspective: Wilcox and/or Baldwin lost 2 playmakers that can take the top off the defense and hasn't been able to replace them. For all the credit they deserve, they also deserve blame for that. Cal offense is sorely missing that element.

If they were fully paid pros and not college kids in a coaching transition, I might agree. But they're students and non-pros, not to mention young. If a kid doesn't want to stay, there's really little you can do. I'm a fan of the coaching staff so I give them a pass because it's college students. (disclaimer: I was a flaky undergrad too.)

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

In 2014 we beat Arizona, UCLA, USC, BYU and maybe Oregon. 10+ wins

In 2016 we beat San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Furd. 9+ wins

2015 is hard to read because the offense stagnated somewhat and we lost several close games, defense may have mattered but maybe we get past Utah, UCLA and USC with that incremental difference. 10+ wins

Dykes is really half a football coach, with a half-decent defense we probably don't make a run for Pasadena but at least we are maybe in contention for the North one of those past years.

Thus far, Wilcox is also "half a football coach." Our D has been money, and our O has been awful.

Tregg's of course is correct. He had an up close look at what he's tweeting.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

I honestly believe Jared Goff would NOT have been the #1 overall pick if Wilcox was HC. I don't believe Goff would even be first round.

Hate on Sonny and his staff for whatever valid reason you'd like, but Sonny was great for offense.

Have to agree here. Goff was the primary beneficiary of the Dykes hire, something Dykes and Tony Franklin stared outright from day one. Didn't work out so well for the program in the long run, but worked out great for him.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

In 2014 we beat Arizona, UCLA, USC, BYU and maybe Oregon. 10+ wins

In 2016 we beat San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Furd. 9+ wins

2015 is hard to read because the offense stagnated somewhat and we lost several close games, defense may have mattered but maybe we get past Utah, UCLA and USC with that incremental difference. 10+ wins

Dykes is really half a football coach, with a half-decent defense we probably don't make a run for Pasadena but at least we are maybe in contention for the North one of those past years.

Thus far, Wilcox is also "half a football coach." Our D has been money, and our O has been awful.

The offense to start the year has been bad but not historically bad (our 2013 - 2016 defenses were among the worst in college football history from a points-per-game perspective). Our conference record last year was horrid (2-7), this year should be better.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

In 2014 we beat Arizona, UCLA, USC, BYU and maybe Oregon. 10+ wins

In 2016 we beat San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Furd. 9+ wins

2015 is hard to read because the offense stagnated somewhat and we lost several close games, defense may have mattered but maybe we get past Utah, UCLA and USC with that incremental difference. 10+ wins

Dykes is really half a football coach, with a half-decent defense we probably don't make a run for Pasadena but at least we are maybe in contention for the North one of those past years.

Thus far, Wilcox is also "half a football coach." Our D has been money, and our O has been awful.

I'm a fan of the coaching staff and what's been done but just offering more perspective: Wilcox and/or Baldwin lost 2 playmakers that can take the top off the defense and hasn't been able to replace them. For all the credit they deserve, they also deserve blame for that. Cal offense is sorely missing that element.

Those departures looked at the chances that one of the qb's could get the ball to them down field and decided their games could be better served somewhere else. That may not be true year after next or even next year, but that's how they saw it now (if you ask me).

Tregg's of course is correct. He had an up close look at what he's tweeting.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

I honestly believe Jared Goff would NOT have been the #1 overall pick if Wilcox was HC. I don't believe Goff would even be first round.

Hate on Sonny and his staff for whatever valid reason you'd like, but Sonny was great for offense.

I agree Goff benefited from having a pass happy Dykes as coach. It was a prolific offense. Goff threw the ball A LOT.

That said, Sonny still didn't play defense at all.The team D stats shows 4 years of bottom feeding. The question wasn't about hating Sonny or how Goff would do under Wilcox. The question was how the Goff years of excellent offense would do with half way competent defense. I agree that with a half way decent defense and Goff, Cal could have been very good. Goff is a once in a generation talent.

As I said before, I don't HATE Sonny Dykes but I don't respect him either for not playing both sides of the ball.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

In 2014 we beat Arizona, UCLA, USC, BYU and maybe Oregon. 10+ wins

In 2016 we beat San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Furd. 9+ wins

2015 is hard to read because the offense stagnated somewhat and we lost several close games, defense may have mattered but maybe we get past Utah, UCLA and USC with that incremental difference. 10+ wins

Dykes is really half a football coach, with a half-decent defense we probably don't make a run for Pasadena but at least we are maybe in contention for the North one of those past years.

Thus far, Wilcox is also "half a football coach." Our D has been money, and our O has been awful.

Hate on Sonny and his staff for whatever valid reason you'd like, but Sonny was great for offense.

The offensive efficiency numbers (not inflated raw numbers) were not good enough to justify the sacrifices made on D.

Sonny's strategy is not going to win much at the P5 level.

I'll also add that I bought into some of the hype that a system like TFS/Dykes' could help Cal overcome shortcomings in recruiting.

But then watching the number of players required on offense, and how much toll that takes on defense, I had revised my opinion to be that a school like Cal - one that has historically had problems with depth but still pulls top notch skill players as seen woth our nfl numbers - probably could benefit more from a slower pace that does not require great depth on both sides of the ball.

Interestingly, Helfrich at Oregon promoted fast pace offense as being statistical - more plays means the team with better depth and talent wins as fluke occurance are actually devalued.

Maybe Stanford/Harbaugh had it right with the grab TEs and move them around and play slow. And SC might be better off playing with more pace with their depth...(of course with a different staff).

Tregg's of course is correct. He had an up close look at what he's tweeting.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

I honestly believe Jared Goff would NOT have been the #1 overall pick if Wilcox was HC. I don't believe Goff would even be first round.

Hate on Sonny and his staff for whatever valid reason you'd like, but Sonny was great for offense.

I agree Goff benefited from having a pass happy Dykes as coach. It was a prolific offense. Goff threw the ball A LOT.

That said, Sonny still didn't play defense at all.The team D stats shows 4 years of bottom feeding. The question wasn't about hating Sonny or how Goff would do under Wilcox. The question was how the Goff years of excellent offense would do with half way competent defense. I agree that with a half way decent defense and Goff, Cal could have been very good. Goff is a once in a generation talent.

As I said before, I don't HATE Sonny Dykes but I don't respect him either for not playing both sides of the ball.

NB: Goff & Aaron Rodgers are special talents of the highest order which just don't come around much - although, when you really stop to think about the history of Cal Football over the longer (maybe even longest) perspective, there have in fact been MANY such top level guys here, I'd say with enough regularity to make the phrase "Quarterback U." perhaps even more appropriate here than at S.C.

Tregg's of course is correct. He had an up close look at what he's tweeting.

One wonders how good Cal could have been in the Goff years...IF Cal simply played respectable D, around the middle of all FBS teams.

I honestly believe Jared Goff would NOT have been the #1 overall pick if Wilcox was HC. I don't believe Goff would even be first round.

Hate on Sonny and his staff for whatever valid reason you'd like, but Sonny was great for offense.

I agree Goff benefited from having a pass happy Dykes as coach. It was a prolific offense. Goff threw the ball A LOT.

That said, Sonny still didn't play defense at all.The team D stats shows 4 years of bottom feeding. The question wasn't about hating Sonny or how Goff would do under Wilcox. The question was how the Goff years of excellent offense would do with half way competent defense. I agree that with a half way decent defense and Goff, Cal could have been very good. Goff is a once in a generation talent.

As I said before, I don't HATE Sonny Dykes but I don't respect him either for not playing both sides of the ball.

NB: Goff & Aaron Rodgers are special talents of the highest order which just don't come around much - although, when you really stop to think about the history of Cal Football over the longer (maybe even longest) perspective, there have in fact been MANY such top level guys here, I'd say with enough regularity to make the phrase "Quarterback U." perhaps even more appropriate here than at S.C.

Agree Cal has attracted good and great QBs in the past. This is why I like Wilcox and playing both defense and offense. The defense can hold down the fort while Cal waits for the next great QB, or a very good one. A guy who can put the team on his back and carry it. We are California...and there will be another good QB coming. In the mean time, lock down the fundamentals like good defense. Create and maintain a baseline of competence and you set the team up for a once in a generation talent shows up.